


Ghoulish

by IraRook



Category: Fallout - Fandom, Fallout 4
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-07-22 21:59:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7455385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IraRook/pseuds/IraRook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A work in progress and my first ffic! Just a side story of Hancock and my amnesia induced sole.</p><p>This is completely non cannon and I wont have too much of any actual game play in it. Its still the common wealth just set in a different universe where my sole is the only sole! </p><p>not really sure where ill take this but lets have some fun with it, aye?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heavy eyes and long baths.

    Soft dripping, like clockwork, filled the room. The ping echoing against the walls. Her body was cold and wet, the aroma of the room was of iron and rust with tinges of mold. Her bathroom was outdated but she never thought mold would be an issue. She heard a buzzing from behind her but assumed it was because of the lack of noise. Complete silence, a room alone in the world. She never took her baths for granted, a time where she could relax and flush out her long days of exhausting work and finally breath.

_work?...buzzing silence? ...but the dripping noise ?_

The drips continued. A persistent ping of loose water echoing in her cocoon of comfort. Her head was floaty and she felt a fuzz building up behind her face. She tried feeling around the tub, her eyes still closed, breathing in the stale metal air. The buzzing got louder, like a tingle on the back of her neck. Her arms felt heavy in the water, unable to be lifted. Weighted at her sides. She tried recalling the night before but nothing came to mind. She was dazed, only slightly aware of her surroundings. Her teeth began to chatter against the cold of the room, her mouth was dry, like sandy rocks being tossed between her gums. How was she so parched but soaking in the bath? There was a breeze shifting her hair making her nose twitch. She thought she had closed the windows but was too tired to care.

She could hear some mumbling from behind the wall, only assuming it was her neighbor. Almost lyrical and somber, she felt sadness emitting from the whispers of the voice. She wasn't too worried considering she never had the time to introduce herself to begin with, she always felt it easier that way. leaving most people as strangers meant she had less responsibilities in caring for them. " **...But if you're cruel, you can be kind, I know** " the murmurers became more coherent, like the walls bowed out only to be put back into place.

Her eyelids grew heavier. With each pang of her leaky faucet she could feel herself drifting more and more. Her world sank inward, any noise she could hear becoming muffled until muted. She felt like she was floating, only not in water. The coldness being pushed away by warmth developing at her feet. She wanted to groan but her mouth was too dry, all of her senses began to dull as the dryness in her mouth was being replaced by heaviness, a tingling setting in as the mute world around her continued to warm up.

**"....There was never a man like my Johnny"**

The spark of noise jolted her awake, her arms still heavy and her eyes still closed. She licked her lips against her dry tongue feeling the roughness of her mouth. It was cold again, she tried flexing her fingers only to find a hard surface beneath them. " _..but the water?_ " She tried remembering how she made it to her bathroom in the first place, trying to remember what wrecked her body. The only problem was, she couldn't even remember having a bathroom to lay in. She tried picturing it, the windows, the leaky faucet, but the memory was missing and nothing made sense.

**"...Like the one they call Johnny Guitar"**

The mummers were ringing in her ears. lyrics floated through her of a song past her time. It was sad and her heart sank at the voice that captured the emotion so hauntingly well. The tingling feeling that engulfed her face increased. She felt a stinging pain on the back of her head that traveled down her back. Her fingers twitched as the song played out **"..Play it again, Johnny Guitar"**. The coldness surrounded her and her teeth buzzed steadily. Her eyes filled with warm tears as the soreness of her body began to resonate. With heavy eyes and heavy arms she felt the pulsing of her joints, like wounds forgotten coming back from vacation with an angry vengeance. Both arms ragged and sore, welting from a stinging sensation every time the air blew over them.

She started to shift her body, trying to move her logged legs, the right one ricocheting pain throughout her entire body. Her left one dull and lifeless unable to move her toes. She gasped at the burning pain on her hip, completely taken back buy the ripple effect it had on the rest of her. Inch by inch her body began to fill out, each limb as sore as the last. Her arms attempted to tense as the feeling started to come back to her fingers. She lifted her hand placing it on her ribs, the sensation shot panic throughout her limbs and her whole body began to spasm in waves of shock. _"broken?_ " she thought to herself, but with no understanding of how or why she began to cry through closed eyes. The tears building then sliding down her face near her ears. The lullaby that echoed in the room had ended and she was left feeling like the last person on earth, sore, scared cold and alone.

The final pang of leaky water sprang her eyes open, stinging as they did. The tears burning her skin and eyes. Her face was numb but she was more pleased then she probably should have been because of it..."...at least I cant feel that" she groaned to herself with a frog voice passed flat lips. It sank in her ears and she suddenly felt more afraid than before. Her own voice, a complete stranger to herself. She had no idea who or where she was. She laid flat on her back, still unable to fold her body. Her eyes danced around taking in what of the room she could and adjusting to the lights, there was red paint everywhere, with decaying walls and ancient furniture over turned and scattered about. Sack like structures hung from the ceiling soaked in dark liquid, quietly dripping reflecting the light in the shadow. " _found my leaky faucet_ ". She felt the surface below her, it was cold and metal, rotting with rust, almost like a weathered surgical table. She felt liquid near her legs indicating a good length of time may have passed since she was brought here. She winced at the embarrassment of something so juvenile but retreated and decided that it was better to know that somewhere in her body something was still working as it should. The corners of the room were dark and painted differently than the rest, or maybe it was wallpaper? With everything else she felt upon waking up, The scene of the room was the least of her worries.

Until her eyes completely adjusted and she could finally process what she saw. Noticing that the red paint was not paint at all, but in fact blood that had seeped and splattered all across the walls. Fresh and old. The iron smell pierced her nose causing her stomach to turn. The fear cascading throughout her body making her fully aware that she wasn't alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used a song from New Vegas, I know. 
> 
> but c'mon! its just so perfectly Hancock!


	2. Unsettling progress

The dim light of the room flickered and danced gleaming across the blood stained walls. Tilting her head she set on panning around the rest of the room, not finding anything in particular useful for any information on her whereabouts. It was old and decaying, The walls withered and thin. The panic of her realization had set in, and she was gasping at rotten air. Her breathing was heavy and her tears continued. Her body was broken and she knew there wasn't much she could do in the event of danger. There where shelves with tools lined across the far end of where she laid. Sharp, angry, and thoroughly used. She gulped between gasps as her tears closed to a steady sob. At least her horse voice muted her sobbing. " _I should be dead"_ She winced realizing the seriousness of her situation.  She fiddled her fingers on the hard table flexing her arms. The pulling of her skin with each flex stinging every time she did so. _...burns?_

She refused to accept this hell as her tomb. Forcing her eyes closed, steadying her breathing as each push and pull of her chest rested on her ribs causing a sting through her gut. She was quiet finally, her sobs controlled, but so was the room. The drips and song that had brought her back had ceased and all that was left was a low humming noise. As her fit subsided she went calm and sighed pushing the pain as far back as she could. She jolted her chest forward lifting her shoulders from the table in an instant. Her stomach contorted and immediately she dry heaved. She was hunched over with dead arms, half drooling and completely momentarily incoherent. The room went fuzzy and she slumped over more until her face was nearly rested on her knees. " _like pulling off a band aid"_  realizing her sarcasm she wheezed a chuckle at herself finally causing her to throw up the contents of her stomach doing her best to aim away from her body. 

The coffin of a room was littered with junk and useless furniture. Other tables with trash piled high lined up beside her and all along the walls of the room. Busted terminals and boarded up windows added to the broken decor of the tomb. She tensed up as she noticed a silhouette leaning against the wall to the right of her. Unsure of how to react, realizing the most logical decision was to play opossum, only to then redact it considering it was a little too late for that. She peered through tired eyes, drilling holes into the figure. It stayed still equally terrifying and exciting her. She smirked, letting out a dry laugh. It was only a manikin, adorned with holes and blood smears. Feeling guilty at the relief of someone else blood instead of the person causing said blood.

She pulled her shoulders back bending her elbows as she did so. Her tight skin pulled and the dryness began cracking in the bends of her elbow sending shivers down her spine. Pulling her neck out she began to slowly stretch her shoulders, arms, and back. Feeling the soreness of her shoulders she eased them down back into place. _bruised?_  Her head pulsed and she slowly brought her hands to her face. Her skin felt rough and wet, Like sand and dirt had been smeared into her tear soaked cheeks. She scanned her body. Dirt covered her hands and her arms were coated in scabs and dead dry skin, Shiny pink flesh peaking in from behind her hellish wounds. Tears welled in her eyes as her hands slowly curved to the back of her head from her face trying her best to ignore its other oddities. Her coarse hair was soaked and stuck to her head. She felt a large gash aligned with the curve of the back of her skull. It was scabbed over and not at all sensitive, however rubbing at it seemed to help subside the headache and woozy feeling she had started to get use to. She straightened her back ignoring the pressure it caused in her lower abdomen. She looked down noticing the bile in her lap, rolling her eyes at herself for not even getting that right. She was partially naked besides a white undershirt and urine soaked panties. Her right leg was covered in bloody scratches, bruised purple and black. A reflection of light caught her eye from her upper thigh, she noticed a large chunk of shattered glass poking through her skin. The pain coming into focus."Great" she said cocking her eyebrow, her eyes tired and burning from her withheld tears.

She went on to inspect her left leg. Pale with violet veins pulsing gingerly with each breath she took. Completely immobile at first, a low fuzz swallowed her leg whole. Her hip ached as she lightly taped on her kneecap. "Still useful" She breathed with relief. It was asleep and sore but mostly unscathed from whatever else did this to her body. Understanding it was a lack of blood flow causing her leg to go numb her head lit up with a ringing, a feeling of dread pooling around her. She heard footsteps echoing in her ear, grumbling conversations trailing with them. Quickly pulling her back to the table closing her eyes she faked unconsciousness. Steadying her panicked breaths, her pains settling in from being moved so suddenly. Resting unevenly and uncomfortably undoing any progress she had made in the moments before. She began to sweat. The footsteps reached the doorway at her left. A low gruff from heavy breathing escaped their mouth spewing spoiled breath into the room. She tensed and relaxed her hands feeling the chatter of her teeth, she bit down on her tongue to quiet herself.

"What is the human even for" The low horse voice, brash and angry, surrounded her body shaking her earth. A prickle of fear chilling her sweat melted down her back. " That's really none of your business sir, but you sure have made a mess of things" a second voice oozed. "We expected her the way we first found her " His voice eerier and overly confident. She was in view of them and completely exposed with no way of defending herself. She was grateful for the distance and tables between her and them suddenly realizing she never remembered hearing a second pair of footsteps. "Id ask you to clean her up but I'm afraid you'd only accidentally kill her fumbling about"The mouth breather wheezed a laugh. Patting his belly, the contents of his stomach sloshing about. "tch- Just leave her here for now, we're making arrangements as we speak for her departure into the sea, what of her uniform?" The educated man spoke above everything in the room. Heavy footsteps walked to the edge of the start of the tables, shifting things around. "Very good," The impatient brain said sharply " Just leave them" He hissed, She could feel his intolerant frustration with this whole interaction. "As we stated before, your reward was everything you could loot from the pinpointed location, including any random survivors, and a total lump sum. However I will need to have a look at the remaining survivors later this evening for blood tests.."The literate voice trailed off moving onto the next point of business. The room suddenly shifting from unsettling dreadful fear to just gut grinding terror. "Too bad, even just a leg from her would have done" The crude angry man said with a hint of a smirk in his voice. His heavy feet shifting and he followed suit.

The room went dead. The low hum from before hugging her ears. She shot up eyes wide open ignoring any pain.

"There are others!" she exclaimed with a new lived urgency to fight...

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me awhile to get this chapter out even though I already knew what I wanted from it.  
> Sorry if its a jumbled mess! 
> 
> Hope you like my random bad guys! and my amnesia babe will soon have to prove herself in the commonwealth ! I hope you can tell shes actually being super brave in this chapter! because I sure as hell wouldn't be able to stop myself form losing my shit in a situation like this let alone control my breathing!


	3. The silent hum of fear

The floors hard cold surface had been a rude awakening. The news of survivors in the same position as her shot bolts of energy through her body, her mind racing and paneling the room in a panic. She was flooded with questions and had to find them before they were left incapacitated or worse...better off dead. She leaned her torso over grabbing hold of her legs, keeping in mind the glass in her upper thigh. Pulling them as she shoved her body twisting it around so they dangled over the rusty table. Its rough edges rubbing on the backs of her thighs pulling at her ruined right leg. She had to stop to lean back and breathe realizing she had been holding her breath the whole time. Feeling her ribs grind against her guts. Sweat dripping down her brow. She closed her eyes tilting her head up into the low glow of the yellowed lights, listening to her breaths over the low hum of the room. She was thirsty and hungry, Her left leg still numb and fatigue beginning to seep in. Her eyelids were heavy. The room was pulsing and it almost felt as time sat still. She heard a crackle like the old record player her father use to have. Its low hum almost soothing her "... _father?"_ the hum resonating in her ears. Her face turning to the direction of the static. Her eyes slowly opening already adjusted to the light. The radio sat turned around from her, dead air making an eerie but embracing hum in her ears. "My lullaby" She remarked dazed remembering the tune that had so leisurely brought her back to the dead world around her.

She sat lurched forward for what felt like minutes staring at the machine, its silent static settling in her ears. Its hum much more noticeable than before. Her eyes were dazed and tired. Like a sixth sense she was able to locate dead air and find it almost musical. Her eyes were wet, but the tears stayed with her. She was angry, a tense emotion filling her gut. She blinked her eyes clearing the tears, and they were gone just like that. She balled her fists against her sides quaking against the rough surface of the table, her knuckles were white and her nails dug into her skin. She could feel her hands pulling harder as she realized her grip strength was still intact regardless of how drowsy the rest of her felt. The feeling in her leg pulled her back, its tingling feeling traveling up and almost away from her completely. She wiggled her toes breathing outwardly in relief. she bent her knee in and out rocking her left leg, pleased with herself she lifted her thigh off the table to test it. Her legs were skinny and her skin, underneath all of the hurt, was olive toned but pale. Her feet petite and her ankles boney. She was thin, her limbs like long branches on a tree too skinny for its height. Long fingers and nails cutting the soles of her hands. She noticed her arms shaking and calmed her hands laying them flat next to her sides.

She breathed steadily listing for the hum of the radio. Her eyes closing and opening with each intake of spoiled air. The mouth breathers scent still lingering in her nose. Her nostrils flared in disgust, thankful that she had already thrown up. She turned her attention to the floor. " Time to get acquainted " she spoke seriously as she lifted and extended her left leg towards the smooth solid surface below, using her hands to hoist her body up over the tables edge that was once her bathtub. Her foot made contact with the littered moss green tiled floor and crumbled under her weight as her body left the stability of the rusty table. In seconds she crashed against the stone ground, The glass in her leg connecting with the surface digging and ripping her skin further. Her ribs rattling against her insides. She gasped but covered her mouth with her inner elbow reminding herself she wasn't alone in this hell. She took a moment to recuperate, shifting her body to the side. Her face still in her elbow. She felt like crying but the clock was ticking and she knew that there wasn't time for something so human. She resurfaced and hoisted herself up the rusty table hearing the old tub creak as it pushed and pulled the more weight she put on it, its squeaks filling the room making her ears ring. "traitor" She whispered at it. Annoyed by all of the unnecessary noise it made.

She was standing, wobbling and woozy but still on two feet. Her head was pounding and her hand went instantly to the scarred over gash on the back of her head. Rubbing it almost on instinct, her hand traveling up and down her neck. The throbbing came to a low pulsing heart beat, allowing her to drop her hands at her sides rearing her head up arching her back keeping her feet planted steadily. Her ribs continued to pull and grind against her insides but she rejected the pain and continued to listen to the low hum of the radio. She sighed and straightened herself, bringing her attention to the floor smeared with her blood. "awful first impression" She whispered almost with a giggle as her hand came to her ribs leaning forward realizing the pain could only be pushed back so far.

The room was large and filled with old surgical tables identical to the one she had dreamed was her bath. She felt a hint of embarrassment remembering how wrong she had got it when she first came to. The overturned furniture and busted appliances looked old and dusty. Completely broken down and basically trash. She continued scanning the room at her new found angle. The bloody walls suddenly becoming the least of her fears. The sacks she noticed hanging from the ceiling earlier were remnants of pain and evil unlike anything she was prepared for. Her jaw hung loose and her eyes scanned the hanging meat held together with rusted chains. The dripping she heard was blood, fresh blood. Ripped limbs and naked torsos took shape before her eyes in a mess of blended red death. Her stomach lurched and she spewed liquid. Leaving herself to dry heave before she was calm again. Taking back how grateful she had been earlier for assuming she had already gotten that out of the way.

She backed away from the death sacks trying her best to break her scared shivering, clenching her jaw tight. Turning her body in the direction of where she heard the dark voices from before, trying to ignore all of the death seeping out of the walls. She noticed a small table different then the others littered with equipment unidentical to the rest of the room near the entrance. Hobbling over ignoring the jarring pain in her leg she leaned against the edge of the table happy that it was bolted to the ground. Turning her back to the metal rack she outstretched her damaged leg. Peering over her left shoulder she studied the contents of the table. Syringes of all kinds and clean bottles of water. Blood packs and other medical equipment were organized and placed in an orderly fashion across the table. Clothes neatly folded and rolled along side the far end peaked her interest. She pulled herself off of the table turning towards the gear. Grabbing a bottle of water and ripping its lid off in one smooth motion. She gulped down half the bottle before remembering to breathe making her choke into a coughing fit. Silencing her mouth with her hand she listened to the room afraid of what she may have disturbed.

The room continued to hum and she released her nerves. Taking in a few more sips quietly letting the liquid spill down her chin. It was warm but it was water, and anything was better then the left over taste of bile on her tongue. She pulled the bottle away grabbing some scrap fabric that was evenly folded in its own pocket on the table, painfully ripping a strip of cloth from her shirt she wrapped it above where the glass had intruded her leg, pulling tight. She washed her hands as clean as possible happy to see her translucent olive skin hiding underneath. Holding the bottle inches from her wound she gasped as the first drop made contact with her harmed skin. She closed her eyes concentrating on the dead air of the radio. The low static hugging her. "better now then later" she breathed to herself, and with that she gripped the knife made of glass and pulled feeling its resistance on her flesh. Biting her lip it released and blood trickled down her knee. The pain like fire took hold of her thigh and her left leg buckled putting all her weight against the table. Her legs were shaking and panic slightly took her mind by hand. _the bleeding wont stop!_

Tears trickled down her face from the pain, forcing her new found bravery down her throat in a knot. Her hands wrapping her stab wound with cloth applying as much pressure she could with her declining strength. She breathed, slowly, her tears finishing and drying. Her vision hazy and The hum of the room pushing the pain behind her. She pulled the cloth up reveling the red gash, blood oozing making her squirm in her skin. Pulling a new bottle of water open and releasing the contents onto her damaged leg. She winced but took the pain cleaning it with a cloth as the water puddled around her. 

Her leg wrapped and clean she felt relieved finally that the blood stopped. Her bandages only slightly red in color. She washed the rest of her skin off with the remaining water bottles like a makeshift shower. Making sure to bend her head over and letting it flow over the back of her neck and head shifting through her sticky hair and old scars. Her ribs still grinding against her guts making her breathing noticeably more difficult. She was soaking wet but so refreshed. Her wet skin clinging to what undergarments she had on. Shivering she inched her way to the folded clothes shifting through them. Jumpsuits in all colors were lined up and down the side of the table. both short and long sleeved. All of them with a numerical insignia on the upper center of the back, like a horizontal 8. "infinity" she said under her breath not quite understanding why she knew it. She half hardheartedly shrugged her shoulders, grabbing the grey suit with white text. _grim color for a grim world._

Stripping her soaked clothes off she dropped them to the floor causing a gushing thud. She stood quietly, completely naked, realizing how loud she had been. Her posture relaxed listening for the hum that soothed her mind. The room was quiet and her eyes wondered, traces of fear being revealed on her face, looking towards the radio that kept her sanity in check. Its light glowing a yellow hue half alive but the hum was gone, and a sense of urgency shook her body. Grabbing her new suit she stepped into her dim colored outfit yanking the zipper up to the high collar that rested under her chin. Her senses heightened and the footsteps running to her location could be heard from around the entrance of her tomb.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SICK OF THIS ROOM LETS GET OUT OF HERE ALREADY!
> 
> Hope this chapter was long enough! Plenty of ideas just sometimes hard finding the time to get it all down! Looking forward to meeting some survivors and meeting these monsters head on! Hopefully by then she can finally stop crying! 
> 
> Feel free to ask any questions if something doesn't make sense, I'm hoping most of it will come to light eventually but I don't want anyone to be too confused! I don't have anyone proof reading this so a lot of it may be jumbled and just overall crap writing!
> 
> also in case its crossed your mind, no, shes not your average human girl. heeeeh!


	4. Death in slow motion

Time tip-toeing by fate, everything stood still. The footsteps were hard and angry but slow to descend. Looking around the room in her new found uniform she was met with an eerie silence, even the soft hum of her lullaby had washed away and left her all alone. All that was left was the ringing in her ears, absolute terror crashing into every inch of her sore body causing her to tense.  _MOVE_. Like instructions given to a child her arms stretched out and she paced the room, her body slow and limp, hands tracing over anything that could be of use. _FASTER_. she squealed as the notion in her mind began to bicker at her pace. _JUST GRAB ANYTHING._ and with that her fingers traced over a baton, about forearms length, black with a switch, it sparked with electricity causing her to fumble back in shock. It was paired beside a knife, quite unlike the rest of her tomb. It was new, and shiny. Hidden among the trash and junk that littered the rusty tables that plagued her new life. 'ilios' etched into the blade with delicate hands. Its blade was pointed and sharp . The hilt had a floral pattern carved in leather. It was by far the prettiest thing she had seen of this world. 

She grabbed her new tools of salvation, holding them with stretched out arms. Her hands gripping the handles with all her strength. She stood towards the way of the opening, outstretched and already defeated. She was tired and her eyes weary, even standing with so much attention caused her head to go numb, her face feeling cloudy. The entrance loomed over her, the arch of the doorway intimidated her.  _NO, THIS WONT DO._ perking up she stumbled around. _AGAINST THE WALL BY THE DOOR WAY, NOW._ She huffed defiantly at the ringing in her ears. Slowly dragging herself near the wall placing her back against it. The door now to her right. The wall was dark, and hidden from the lights of the room. Slowly the running feet began to pick up pace, thudding louder as the ringing in her ear now sat in the back of her skull. She winced at the sensation it left on the gashed scar that lined the back of her head. _YOU ONLY HAVE ONE SHOT, DO THIS RIGHT_. She stood looking at her hands. " _What am I even doing_ "  slowly releasing her grip, she half wanted to give up and succumb to this hell. she was tired and the nagging in her mind was only upsetting her. Completely at a loss, confused and scared. Her intuition fumed at her.

 _DO IT NOW._ It rang in her ears like an alarm, her grip tightening around the tools almost unconsciously. The footsteps galloping in her mind, crashing rocks against her skull. A figure coming into light as it flew past her. The beast was as large as his presence, a man nothing like she would have ever pictured. He abruptly halted standing as tall as the entrance to her hell, with shoulders as wide as the door itself. His skin, as thick as iron with a green tint, he was still and stood searching the room. His back to her. Grunting as steam rose from his breath. The manikin at the other end of the hellish room had gained his attention. With a tired crooked smile she stood behind him. Time inching by, studying his breathing for a moment, giving fuel to her rage, then pushing off from the wall. Her movement regardless of her condition was fluid but untrained. She was fast, fumbling forward, she ran up from behind him veering towards his left. She stayed low to prevent him from seeing her. _THE NECK._  She jabs him in the side of the neck with the silver knife like intuition. Her threw his head back in pain, a groan erupting from his mouth like a roar. He landed on one knee. Angry and confused. His hands were empty as he went to swing his arms in her direction.

Jumping back, her ribs sucked in her breath as they shook the rest of her abdomen. She wheezed as the angry green devil tried swinging a few more times. _FINISH THIS ._ She jumped at the opportunity side stepping his swings and ducking below his arms, one colliding with her temple. With the baton ready,ignoring the new pain, she clicked in the switch and watched it flash, making contact with the silver knife still nuzzled in his neck. His arms went flailing as his eyes rolled back. He stood at half attention with his knee still to the ground , convulsing but making no noise. The knife glowed from beneath his skin, red flashes emitting from his mouth. She held the baton steady, face contorted in anger. Smoke clouded the room and burning flesh drowned her nostrils. She gagged causing the baton to lose its current connection. She stepped back escaping the smell of his breath and rotting flesh.

The monster was dead, kneeling on one knee like time was still, the room started to fade in and out, his body slowly going limp. Floating to the floor in slow motion. She watched as the knife glistened in the light against his green skin. It was burned into his neck and it was charred where the sparks flew. Like an exhale the quiet of the room quickly filled with the beasts body hitting the tiled floor. His arms sprawled out, he landed on his belly, a crack was heard when his mutant head crashed into the tile. Its green tint matching his skin. Her breathing came to focus and the earth was no longer standing still, everything catching up with her senses. The hum of the dead air played in her ears. She sighed breathing loudly almost in praise to herself. She made eye contact with the manikin bowing her head. "Thank you friend" was all she had to say.

He was huge, taking up a large portion of the entrance. He had ran into the room empty handed and she was grateful for that. Her hand traced the side of her head where his arm had collided with her. It pulsed, the pain causing a headache, but compared to the rest of her body it was dull. She hobbled along side his body, The knife still glistening in the light. Bending over she cradled it in her hand, pulling gently. Her wounds pulsing as she tugged. It was stuck, almost velcroed to his burnt flesh. Gritting her teeth she yanked the silver knife free from his neck, blood spraying across her face tangling in her hair. She fell back landing on her butt. Panic set in, she was tired of seeing so much red. Her face twisted, her eyes closing. " _no more crying"  ,_ She cooed to herself. Her face relaxed and she counted her breathing, the humming of the room releasing her from her almost fit. Her hands went to the blood on her face as she pulled it from her eyes and mouth. Her eyes sprang open and she rose from the bloody tiled floor. 

Her grey long sleeved jumpsuit had proved to be useful, it was tight but the pressure it was applying relieved her. It escaped the bloody confetti of this room and she laughed, remembering her ribs quickly, left only to grin. She quickly walked to the table with all of her new found supplies, grabbing a sack from one of its shelves, she quickly dumped all of the syringes and blood packs cleaning the table empty except for a few suits she decided to leave behind. Her unfamiliar supplies tied to her hip, she took her tools of death by hand and started for the door way to leave this bloody green tiled hell. Finding the other survivors was the only thing on her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> annnnnnd, we're finally free from this hellish room!
> 
> First super mutant down! No idea how many to go!  
> and as someone who is weak and basically delirious I felt she used her resources well!
> 
> I've been super busy as usual but this chapter was fun considering it had a hint of action in it.  
> also the whole 'time slowing down' thing is important and i hope its written decently. Its not exactly supposed to be noticeable to her but it is in fact slowing down all around her.
> 
> I WONDER WHY ?! :D


	5. Sight through listening

Her feet were dragging as she picked up speed, her arms brought up to shield her chest while applying much needed pressure to her pained torso. Weapons in place, illios, singed and dull from abuse. Blade marked red with blood, sad in its tainted diminish. The leather in crumbs, brown turned singed grey, the design lost to the sparks that saved her life. Regret boiled in her gut, the knife was beautiful and had looked loved. Now its decayed like everything else around her, lost to this hell. Useful in only its sharp nose, and silver dull gleam. The baton held her interest because of its resilience. Like a magic wand that promised her protection. They saved her life, bringing them with her she could at least make sure they were not being abused by these sick brutes.  She was wild, and fumbling but managing to slide her way through the hallways. Blood smeared face, she was determined, but weary. Her eyes were stern as she silently crept through the floor of the building, leaning on walls as she made her way to any exist she could find. Her body was pushing itself over any limit she could have possibly set up for herself but her heart beat was slow and her movements were swift. Garbage littered the floor as she made note not to step on anything, her feet were bare but something about it made her more comfortable. Feeling the ground below gave her a good grip as her steps began to feel more natural. Her toes applied pressure against the floor giving her some relief from her legs, she had long legs so her strides were wide and her body was low. She knew how to run and knew it well. Something she could tell she practiced before.

She moved so sloppy, even she noticed, but all the while still being impressed with her ability to almost create something of a rhythmic stride, especially considering her current state. Her feet coming to full step, she whisked down the hall, leaning into her steps with force. Her body rocketing in pain she heaved it in and threw herself into her strides. coming to a crossroad of stairs and elevators. She stopped on a dime allowing the pain to catch up. The buildings walls were ripped apart. The death of this place was plastered like decorations. Her eyes stayed straight ahead, skipping over any lost souls or remnants that was left of them. Empty paint cans, red gasoline and propane tanks laid around like they were mass produced here. Full of contents, the smell lingered in the air here. The elevators to her right looked lost to this world, The stairs were her best bet. She lightly stepped with a quick limp, peering over the handrails to the floor below. Seeing nothing, she closed her eyes to listen.

Movement littered her minds-eye, feet scuffing across more tiled floor in a struggle. Heavy footsteps dancing around them. " _More green devils_ ". She winced remembering how only luck managed to save her the last time. She could hear them speaking, sandpaper voices sneering with angry delightful heavy breathing, enjoying whatever cruel task that was handed to them. Holding her eyes tighter she listened, her breathing was slowing down and she lowered herself to the ground on one knee, resting her hand on the wood that started before the descend to the stairs. Illios and her wand laid in front of her. Flinching as she felt the pulse of foot steps echo through the floor through her fingertips. She counted the steps, each one different but still angry as all the others. " _Three of them_ " She mumbled to herself. Taking a sharp inhale, She listened more closely, they were grumbling but excited. She could hear a muffled voice, feminine. Though it was faint and quiet, the struggle she heard must because of her. Her eyes sprang open. A possible survivor from where she was from? or at least Someone that could explain this awful nightmare. regardless, they were in distress and not playing along. The struggle was quickly thickening. The sliding of feet and tiny whimpering flooded her head. She had to do something, but with little resources and being unsure of how to even execute some kind of preemptive rescue mission, she kept her hand to the ground, closed her eyes and continued to listen. 

"this one struggles more" The gruff voice rang in her ears like an alarm. "Why do they even try" his partner replied with a laugh caught in his throat. "Its more fun this way" the final voice slithered across her mind making her angry. She could here the victims angry sobs behind her gagged mouth. Crying for help, but it falling flat against the beasts movements. Their conversation was of little interest. Conducting a vial plan against their beaten guest. Exhaling she placed her second hand on the wall near where she sat. Trying her best to visualize the scene that was playing below her. She saw the room, similar to the hell she woke up to. Only it was empty, maybe ? The green tiled floor matching the skin of those monsters. They were unarmed but hellish weapons were placed within a short distance.  The girl was tied up and gagged, propped against the wall, she wore bruises and rags for clothes. Shaved head, afraid but also fueled with rage.  They were beginning to become inpatient as the stranger began to stifle her sobs into fits of rage. The punch made her gasp in unison with the poor stranger as she saw it in her head. " we cant kill yet, but we can play, yes?" His caveman language distilled disgust in her chest. "yes, but no kill" they were strong, but stupid. The struggling had stopped as the girl sank deeper into the floor. The wind knocked out of her, she was beginning to give up. "What kills a monster? let alone three?" She rose with her tools in her hands talking to herslef. Looking around she took a step back to disconnect from the pain down below. "this is impossible" she sighed out loud. She was all out of tears and utterly defeated

She leaned her head back and listened to the air around her. She filtered through the noise below her, past the spiraling stair case, trying to find peace so she could fully think. This world she found herself in was absolute chaos. Nothing about it made sense, and comfort was nowhere to be found. Her feet were firmly planted and she felt the pain that seeped into the walls of this coffin. Something had to happen. This all needed to end. Wherever she was, wherever this place may be, it couldn't continue and she knew she had to find her own peace. Taking a sharp inhale gasoline filled her lungs and she knew what needed to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> randomly updated. aheeh.
> 
> pretty short. just trying to get to the end of this green death trap.


	6. A friend

The propane tanks were heavy and her arms were tired. Bringing them as far as she could then laying them on their sides to roll the rest of the way. The rattling it caused gave caution but the brutes below were not only stupid, but preoccupied. Her strategy played in her head on repeat. Over and over again. She gave herself a timer and 8 minutes had already passed due. Even though she had no knowledge of who or where she was, her inner clock seemed to be a constant stressful reminder of her limits. The tanks were the last thing to deal with and she was getting nervous. "This will never work" Her negativity upsetting her. She propped her manikin friend in the middle of her awakening hell. Tanks littered at his feet, leaning in to kiss his plastic bloody cheek. "One last job" she promised him as she slipped away. She pulled the dead weight green mutation out closer towards the entrance of the room, his arm outstretched past the doorway taking far more effort then she wanted it to. His head just barely peeking past the frame out into the hallway, splashed with blood from the sack of death that woke her from her soak in the tub. She took one last glance at her work. Tanks placed at the sides of the entrance and 4 with her friend. Red gasoline cans littered the floor mostly empty. Empty paint cans filled with metal trash, bolts and heavy nails decayed with rust layered on top of batteries she assumed were dead stacked against the wall in front of the entrance camouflaging itself with the trash around it. Finding a mostly empty tank she propped it against the wall diagonal to the room with a plaque of trashed wood saying a prayer to herself as she carefully did so. It wobbled as she slinked away but managed to save her the pain of being difficult. Her ability to create something of a lab rat experiment with nothing but old relics would have been more amusing if it wasn't for the urgency of the situation. One by one she turned the nozzles of the tanks and the air began to fill with gas. Bringing her hand to cover her face she quickly bolted for the door following her liquid trail that she had spilled earlier bringing her back to the stairs from where the struggles continued. Making sure to avoid the puddle of gasoline that marked the entrance of the hallway.

 

All that hard work and the hardest part was still to come. She made it back to the familiar stair case taking a breath where the air wasn't poison. listening below, The girl beneath her crying behind a gagged mouth and utterly defeated. " _Shes still alive"_ she thought to herself. She scanned the room, broken doors propped against the walls all around her. The wallpaper of the hallway was peeled and the walls were hollow with holes. The room across the hall was stuffed with garbage and blood. She saw the trace of bodies and her guts twisted with a feeling more then just physical pain. This was all about timing and her window of opportunity was more of a peep hole. She felt reborn but only to awaken in hell, Her fatigue threatening to slip and take her at any point . Taking a firm grip on the floor with her feet she raised the empty oil can she had left near the stairs over her head with both arms, her shoulder ached as it cooed her a reminder of her mortality all over again. Focusing on the wood plank precariously placed at the far end of the hall, she smirked almost proud of her work. The tank itself was practically floating being pinned by nothing more then a small plaque of trashed wood. Time stopped as she took in one final breath of quiet air around her center, the drips of sweat pausing as it pooled off of her face. "This is definitely not going to work". Pushing her negativity to the side, reminding herself that if she did nothing, she would still end up dying in this soul crushing place. She closed her eyes and waited until the timing was right and the struggle below was quiet, It was silent and the hum she had depended on before returned. Her breathing slowing further and the air grew thick with anticipation. The hum giving her one final quiet luxury before the inevitable disaster that was about the begin.

 

_NOW!_

 

She heaved with all her strength using her feet as leverage for her send off, and in one fluid motion the tank flew from her hands and ricoshade across the hall. The force she used was lacking but the tank didn't seem to notice as it continued to bounce around the hallway. She took off to scuffle quietly behind one of the decayed doors propped against the wall nearest the stairs. As soon as she managed to squeeze her frame out of sight the can made contact with the dead plaque and the crash of the tank flooded the halls with an alarming echo. The humming in her head dropped instantly and the familiar sirens filled her ears. The footsteps were there before she realized as three monster bodies hurled up the stairs. They paused and took in the area around them, breathing heavy with the smell of decay on their bodies. She was paralyzed praying to herself, peaking at them from slits in the door. Their bodies marked with burns and scars. Skin smeared in slimy sweat and blood, The green tint of their skin being the last thing she noticed at this point. Bald heads and snarled sharp teeth, Their mouths' oozed heat as they heaved their chests for air scanning the hall in front of them. She couldn't help but buckle her knees at the size of such monsters, but as monsters goes there was no denying these were the things nightmares were made of, and only a single slate of the remains of an ancient door had been her shield. Trash layered armor covered portions of their bodies. She took note of it, if they really were monsters, they at least acknowledged their own weaknesses and took strides in trying to secure them. _How human_. They were stupid but hopefully not stupid enough to not notice a fellow teammate down and out at the end of a hall. They roared in unison slamming their weapons together, and like the brutes they were, took off. The pounds of their feet echoing in her head as the sirens continued to ring throughout her body. She counted 5 steps then pulled herself from her hiding spot. The spark wand at hand she ignited her path of liquid fire bending over as she begged her legs to keep moving and it took off without any regrets. No looking back she jumped over the railing and landed on the stairs that spiraled below. They cracked under the force of her landing, making her stumble into the wall on her right. The jump reminded her of the pain she so carelessly tried to ignore, but the adrenaline pushed her forward and denied it the satisfaction of slowing her down. Pushing off of the wall she turned to finish her descend down to the floor below, taking in the room she visualized so well before almost in shock at the accuracy, as if it were a room she had taken the time to study and live in. Every dent, every stain. The dried blood smeared across the floor, the flickering light of the hanging lamp. The crooked wooden desk littered with tools of torture. Wallpaper tared off to be replaced with symbolic text in a language she couldn't understand. As the scene came to focus she realized her senses, she felt herself leave her body in an instant, terrified as the entire floor itself came into view. She could see the hallway at the end without having to use her eyes. The broken staircase leading down into a black dank hall below. She inhaled realizing her mission as she straightened her back at the scuffle of feet across from her.

The woman was staring at her, eyes wide, shock plastered on her face. She was beaten, bruised from head to toe. Hunched over, legs sprawled out on the floor hands tied behind her back. It was apparent that it was painful to even sit up for her. Her clothes were tattered and old. The buttoned up collard shirt she wore was dingy and the pattern on it lost with age, tight black jeans and heavy red leather boots. If she was a traveler she didn't look it with how casual her attire was. She was young but no child, pale with dirty and bruised skin, delicate features and thick eyebrows made the pain on her face almost endearing and sad. Her head was shaven but it suited her physique. A gash across the right side of her head dried with blood. Its arch indicating it was actually aimed for her ear, the Instincts of the woman probably being the reason it had missed. Raising a finger to her lips, The confused beaten woman nodded and took heed to the warning to be quiet. She swiftly sprinted to her, hesitant but with no time to waste she helped the tortured girl to her feet effortlessly. The woman winced but kept back the noise. Her frame was small and hollow. She felt so empty and light. Turning her back to her hero, illios gleamed in the flickering light as she placed it below her rope binds and with one harsh pull, its dull blade tore them apart. Before the woman could even get feeling back to her hands she whipped around and took a low stance making eye contact with her savior, ripping the gag from her mouth flexing her jaw, throwing the discarded cloth to the ground her fingers spread as if ready to react. She faltered and the evidence of her pain was plastered on her face but her furrowed brows left an air of intimidation regardless of her apparent struggles. 

"No time to explain, we HAVE to keep this short" She whispered in a rush. Her voice still unrecognizable, her expression reveling the confusion of her own predicament. Waking up in a hell with the inclination to react on her instincts against her own will was probably more unusual then she had realized before just now. She didn't even take the time to panic since waking up, just react. The bald girl nodded and her stance relaxed only slightly, bringing her back to reality. The woman's' shoulders wavering as they sagged, she seemed relieved but their fight was far from over. "What floor are we on and how do we get out of here?" Her voice still a stranger. She would have to get use to it, its inflection and pronunciation was sharp and her accent was light and floaty. She lifted her head and looked up the stairs like she was expecting her previous company to come stumbling down. She wasn't going to let the oddity of her own voice scare her considering her current situation. " We're on the forth floor, the floor below us is empty but i reckon the one below that is swarming with Super mutants and their hounds-" before she could even question the classification of the monsters a small burst of force was heard throughout the fourth floor. Metal could be heard bouncing off of the walls above them, hissing as it burned into the wood, even reaching as far as the bottom of the stairs where she had just come from. "The paint cans go first, next is the big one and we need to be out of here before that". The strange girl looked confused and alarmed. Her hero grabbed her hand and made for the other end of the hallway. "We're going to take a window that I'm assuming is boarded up on the third floor, we wont have time to make it to the bottom floor especially if we run into company, and with that loud noise I'm assuming we will if we aren't quick" She slowed her pace to match the weary survivor by her side . Roaring was heard directly above them. The heat was already spreading as she heard the pounding feet struggle against the wall of fire she had left behind her. "What did you do!?" the scared woman relented gasping for air. "Something i was positive wouldn't work, and still don't, but at least it will buy us some time to try" They came to the stairs and the floor below was desolate and dark. They took no time to jump to the end finally reaching the third floor both gasping at the impact, the weary woman heaving into the wall in front of them placing her hands on it as if grateful for its stability. "are there anymore people here, people that need help?" she said standing up from her landing and assessing the hall before them. She headed for the room past the staircase hall peering behind corners, It was dark but her vision acclimated at an alarming rate. She could see in great detail the room that surrounded them, It was large and mostly empty. An air of dust surrounded them and the atmosphere was thick. Relatively clean of blood and death, just left stuck in time. Old and withered, the only decay on this floor she felt was from the peeling of the wallpaper and the old books stacked in the far corner of the room. They came to a pause, The woman shifted from the wall sighing and began to scan the room, the two split up in the dark vast emptiness looking for a window they could pry open without much effort. "if there was they ain't anymore, mutants don't dance about. They tend to take care of their dirty work quickly, not too sure why they were having so much fun with me" the girl responded bluntly, the cynicism piercing her tone. She was fumbling around unable to see as clear as her strange hero, and she seemed to take notice of the interesting talent .

"I heard a conversation, only one of the participants sounded far to literate to be one of those monsters." She pressed firmly on the fifth window she came to and the board budged behind her hand. She knocked on it, it was a single wooden board, hollow broken glass on the other side. Her vision wavering as if her instincts pressured her to focus on this particular window "dont know nothin bout that" the girl said as she came up to help lodge a metal rod that had been discarded on the floor she had found near them. They pulled together as the wood cracked, ripping it from its nails almost breaking it in half. Splintering itself from the wall it finally gave way and stiffly fell to the floor with a slight wobbling crash. The glass underneath it was held together by weakened wood and caked in dust. The atmosphere shifted, the littered air clearing from their vision as the flow of air seeped in from the opened path. Her skin pulled tight as the light from outside leaked through the cracked window, casting shadows across their faces in an emerald glow. It was refreshing and inviting pushing away the stale air of their current chamber. She heard a hum of pleasure as the delicate breeze teased across her charred cheek. It soothed her body, closing her eyes to encase herself in the diligent swift breath of freedom "what can we expect once we step out of this hell, do you have any friends near by?" she asked in a hum opening her eyes to peer at the stranger she almost forgot had come with her. The girl looked even more puzzled staring at her hero making eye contact unable to look away. "hun, its only more death out there, but at least it aint torturous death like with these monsters, and yeah i got some friends, they're strong too".

For the first time since her revival, she smiled with no malice behind it. Closing her eyes once more to dive into the relief of air that poured from outside of the hell she had struggled with since opening them. A sense of comfort resonated in her bones and pressure had lifted from her shoulders, finally, even if it was a hint at hope, it was still better than nothing. The woman looked at her in confusion, pinching her brows. "You ain't from around here are you darlin?" she asked with almost a hint of a flippant tone. " I have no idea, I'm not even exactly sure where here is to be honest". She informed her lightheartedly with a sigh reopening her eyes, remembering the urgency that almost left her completely. "well if its any consolation not many do at this point" the stranger returned with a crook of her neck as if to imply she had secrets of her own. She raised her exhausted arm extending her hand, raising a brow and smiling cheekily in the emerald light casted from the world outside. She looked coy but kind, her bruises deepening even more just in the short time of their attempted escape. " Tha names Thorn, given to me by my bastard friends on account of my thorny exterior but blossoming personality" winking as sweat dripped from her bushy youthful eyebrows onto her cheek. Hesitating she grabbed her hand, unsure of how to handle the situation slightly afraid of offending the brash girl in her uneasiness to make contact. Her mouth curved into a slight smile as Thorns' face smoothed into a reassuring grin encasing her heroes hand with her other and shaking it. "not to be impolite but i'm not quite sure of my own introduction" she released her grip, her smile wavering as Thorn dropped her hands with one final squeeze of affirmation. The harsh girl continued grinning as her brows raised. She laughed grabbing her gut as the pain stiffened her enjoyment of the situation. "impolite huh, not really use to something as adorable as that, You really are a stranger to this land arent you girl." she confirmed more to herself rather than asking an actual question. 

The rumble of the floor above them brought her back to the seriousness of the situation at hand, like reflex she grabbed Thorns shoulders to steady her as her knees knocked against the force of the blast above. The floor between them and the first explosion had spared them any grief but their quiet conversation was about to be forcibly interrupted if they didn't jump at the opportunity. "Did you make a bomb or some shit? how did you even manage something like that?! you look too pure to be some kind of demolition expert" Thorn exclaimed as the grin slid from her face understating the severity of their situation. The heat from the floor above them was licking at their scalps, the flames were hidden but its spread was obvious. Her shoulders shrugged "I cant explain it, I woke up with an incredible urgency for survival. I believe its my instincts and right now its yelling at me to move so lets go." finally releasing Thorns shoulders first squeezing them in reassurance. " Go? go where?! This window? but we're still three stories up!?" It was apparent the drop below was not going to be kind to their broken bodies, and Thorn knew this with biting frustration. "Well, considering current circumstances I believe it is the lesser evil of the options we have displayed before us, staying doesn't seem to be any friendlier Thorn". The girls breath hitched at the sound of her own name. Shaking out a sigh she shrugged suggesting the argument had ended more at a complaint rather than an actual question of their next move. "Are we far from any kind of salvation?" She finally asked hoping the girl had her bearings on the location of the building and not just of the building itself. Thorn tensed like she remembered good news she forgotten since the beating she received "Goodneighbor!" she exclaimed excitedly, looking up from her thoughts " We're only a few blocks! I was on my way there before those assholes pounced on me and killed my dog, He was a useless mutt really but he was my useless mutt..." She peered over the window seal as Thorn rambled, The ground below was a dirt road littered with trash, the building across looked just as run down and abysmal as the one she currently stood in. With no sign of life beyond where she stood her hope was fleeting but she had no time to worry. "..those bastards came out of nowhere and just smashed him with their hammers, the poor thing basically tore in two yelping.." She tried to continue remembering the pain that brought her here. "Focus Thorn, can you remember how to get to your good neighbor?" The roof above them creaked as it caved in at the center of the room , The flames licking the dusty wood biting at their heels. They both flinched as the heat rose and surrounded them. Thorn turned back to the window realizing again the urgency of their current situation "Its not my goodneighbor, its eveyones', and yeah, its near those bright lights, lots of pretty neon ones so people dont get lost and end up in the shitty diamond. johnny-boy is smart on that account.." 

"Johnny?" She questioned breaking her off as time stood still remembering her lullaby breathing life back into her from her forced dreams. The floaty feeling still lingered as the song played in her head once again, for something that brought her to such a hell it was a reassuring feeling and almost nostalgic to her. Thorn replied but it was missed, as the sirens screamed in the back of her skull before the roar was heard crashing into their small conversation. Lurching their necks to spot the intruder, She inclined her head stooping low at the familiar beast. Her arms spread and her legs bent , her stance widening as if to heed any kind of threat and toss it right back. Territorial in its own right. It was the monster from before, the one in conversation with the well spoken man. "I DONT CARE WHAT HE SAYS, YOUR BONES WILL BE LEFT FOR THE HOUNDS YOU BITCH" He roared, His anger evident. Thorn stepped back tracing her vision between her and the monster, but she stood her ground without a hint of retaliation. The familiar voice in her head filtered through the sirens echoing behind her skull. 

_He will kill you._ The voice rolled in her head in an impatient tone. _You have to move, save the girl, do what you must, but you cannot fight him on your own as it stands._ It paused, as if thinking on its own. _Bide your time, this will be resolved indefinitely._

Her eyes slid shut as her vision encased the room, a third minds eye and time was still. The fire sat rigid in its waving motion now halted. Thorns mouth was agape, her eyebrows knit tight in fear staring at her for a hint at their next move. The beast was snarling, saliva mixed with blood dripping from its sharp edged teeth, The droplets still stagnant in the air. She grasped at the moment of clarity, her vision clear even as her eyes were shut. She looked for a hint of resolve, if they jumped out of the window now he would be sure to only follow. If they survived the landing they surely wouldn't last long with him on their tail. The metal rod at their feet that they left discarded as they finished opening the boarded window glistened in her view, The floor above them had weakened immensely as evident of the charred black embers peaking through the floor ready to collapse even more. She felt ilios singe her hip where she had placed it after its last use. She sighed inwardly, sad at its eminent departure from her care, It had helped her greatly but for what it would cost to not utilize it to its fullest extent would be a waste indeed. Her plan played out, her head wrapping around the possibilities until finally her eyes snapped open and time flourished slowly until it finally caught up. 

In an instant she bent lower grabbing the resilient blade, giving it one last smooth squeeze before releasing it towards its target. It sang in the air, glittering across the floor as the flames reflected off of it. It barreled downwards, almost as if it missed its mark until it crashed into its final destination. The beasts' shriek was crude as he hunched over to grab at his foot. It was nailed to the ground as the blade continued to shine in all its ruin. He tugged at it and the movement only sent blood gushing over around his toes. He hesitated and it was enough for her plan to succeed. Standing upright with confidence she kicked the metal rod behind her, it skipped up at an angle and with her fist she sent it spinning in the air, without a second thought she rounded her leg and crashed her calf into it from above bouncing it on the ground its momentum flying it into the ceiling angled slightly above the monster. It stilled as it made contact vibrating at the engagement then fumbling to the ground. The ground creaked as the ceiling gave way and the floor above them came into view once again. The monstrous beast was engulfed in the chaos. The air was flooded with smoke and Thorns coughs snapped her back to reality resting her adrenaline slightly. "For trash wearing monsters they sure leave their weak spots open, hoooly shit" Thorn laughed waving through the smoke continuing her coughs. 

She grabbed her by the arm and placed herself between her friend and the window. "This fall will hurt but hopefully it will be all on me and less on you" she smiled. Thorns wounds were open at the intense situation and her bruises were nearing its darkest stages. Her face was lined in black and the gash above her ear was crying blood from the impact of the force from the explosion and collapsing of the ceiling. She was more hunched over then when she first found her and her fatigue was showing. " How do you get off being all heroic and shit? that stuff seems so boring" Thorn wheezed finally realizing her inability to hide her pain finally grasping at her side. The hero snorted causing a stir in Thorns stance. "Thorn, if you get knocked out who's going to drag me to any kind of civilization, trust me, this is more for my benefit then it is yours "hun"." emphasizing the term that Thorn herself so carelessly tossed her way in their previous discussion. A hint of a smile on her face. 

"Marvelous" The voice slithered its way in her mind. Her head snapped up shooting straight ahead the smile disappearing into shock. Thorn tensing as she too searched for the voice. Time was slowing but not on her accord. The hazy smoke parted and the clever man from her first awakening was standing across from her, an eerie grin spread across his face, his features pulled tight and sharp. "Just astounding, really." He began clapping ignoring the walls of flame that ware quickly surrounding them. It was almost picturesque, The flames suited his exterior as he stood in all white. The cleanest thing shes come into contact with besides the lovely blade she was so uneasy to part with. He looked royal in his suit, his hair parted to the side, also white with a slight undercut. His skin was pale almost translucent but his eyes were fire and dark. His snake like features were anything but reassuring as unease crept up her spine. He rocked an eyebrow as she grabbed Thorns waste before the cocky girl could say a word edge wise. Ignoring the dragging feeling that times itself was implementing in her actions.

_RUN AWAY, NOW!_ For the first time the voice echoed in fear. Its meaning deeper then just its action, and she was truly terrified at that. 

and without a second glace she hoisted herself over, hugging onto Thorn as she readied herself for the impact as they fell lifelessly to the ground. The screams of her new found friend crying in her ear.  


  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super random update! Yeah!


End file.
